In the movie The Prestige, why did Borden lead Angier to Tesla? Didn't he know that it would make him more successful? And did the other half not know about the plan, which is why he went to inspect Angier's machine and end up being accused for murder? If it really had been Borden's plan all along, then surely he could've told his twin the complete truth.

1 Answer
1

Borden tried to mislead Angier by giving his diary, which Olivia acted as she had stolen from Borden, on request of Borden, to make fun out of him proving he (Angier) was no match with Borden. Borden also succeeded Angier to make him leave the town for a long time. Considering Angier was the only tough competitor in magic, it bought Borden some time to expand his business in an empty field! The diary which Borden had given was encrypted and Borden knew, misled by the story of stealing, Angier would take a serious step in order to get the key from Borden to decrypt the diary. Angier had been to Tesla's show of Telas's discovery in a science fair. But considering the risk attached with the show, no spectator stayed there to see it including Angier. I believe Borden encrypted the diary with a key "TESLA" for no specific reason (casually) and also the word might be catchy for Angier as Angier knew Tesla had discovered something really special (and he did not know what it was!). So Borden might have thought when Angier would see the word Tesla, he would surely think this is the discovery Tesla had made and Borden was using it. Borden's diary read as:
And yes, Tesla is merely key to my diary, not to my trick. You really think I would part with my tricks so easily after so much.

2) Didn't he know that it would make him more successful?

Borden did not have any idea that Angier would take the name so seriously. Angier thought Tesla knew the way of Transported Man, made Borden one and Borden is using this machine for his show. So he went to Tesla and requested him to make a similar machine he had made for Borden and surprisingly, Tesla could make such a machine for Angier! Borden had no idea what Tesla was capable of. If he knew, he did not take the risk to push Borden to such a famous scientist and would have made the key different.

3) And did the other half not know about the plan, which is why he went to inspect Angier's machine and end up being accused for murder?

Borden (both the brothers) did not have any clue what Angier had come up with from Tesla. That is why one brother went to check the trick. Like I said if he had knew, he would not have pushed him towards Tesla.

4) If it really had been Borden's plan all along, then surely he could've told his twin the complete truth?

Angiers coming with new machine was not Borden's plan at all and that can be concluded from the aforementioned facts.

Hey, this is good. I was really wondering whether Borden was cloned once or twins. I know Angier calls him a twin and is uncorrected, I just couldn't make peace with either side. Great points.
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MattFeb 24 '13 at 18:41

@Matt No, the movie makes it pretty clear that Borden never got such a machine from Tesla (or anybody else). He had a twin brother all his life. That is quite easy to see by looking at the broader picture of the differences between Angier and Borden, and is already hinted at at the beginning, when they see this old Chinese magician, who plays an old weak guy all the time. Borden and his brother both lived only half a life just to conceal their secret. And this in fact "was their real trick and shows true dedication to their art"...
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Tom Cody♦Feb 26 '13 at 9:59

@Matt ...Whereas Angier never understood that huge degree of dedication and self-sacrifice and just went the easy (and pretty dirty) way. In the end the movie has deceived you with its elaborate possible explanations for Borden's secret, which in the end was a pretty simple one ("but it's the trick that impresses the people, the secret doesn't impress anyone"). Angier couldn't believe it to be a doppelgänger because his own attempts with it were not that good. He just wasn't able to understand Borden's dedication to his trick and uncover his (in the end pretty simple) secret.
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Tom Cody♦Feb 26 '13 at 10:00